Missing Mai
by silvarra
Summary: After a hot night together, Naru returned to England. Now, 4 years later, he's back in Japan, but Mai has been abducted. Can he solve the mystery before it's too late? And what is the surprise in store for him when he returns? Contains lemons, caution. Naru/Mai pairing. Will update soon. Just hit a block
1. Chapter 1

The cabin was oddly quiet with just the two of them there alone. Lin had gone on ahead to England to help with the preperations, while the others wouldn't be arriving until the morning. Despite the quiet, it almost felt completely natural to the two to be there together.

Her thoughts were interrupted by "Mai, tea" out of the blue. She put her book aside, though she hadn't really been reading it anyway, and went into the cabins kitchen to prepare Naru's tea, as always. After carefully placing the tea cup down on the table in front of him, she softly said that she was going to go shower and change. Not waiting for the "thank you" that she knew he would never say, she turned and left him alone, never noticing the slight blush appear on his face.

Naru knew that after tomorrow, SPR would be closed and he would be returning to England with his twin brothers body. Though it had taken Mai two years to tell him everything, he wasn't mad at her. He knew he should be, since he had had to wait so long to get the answers to the question that had brought him to Japan in the first place, he had also been falling in love with his assisstant and found it hard to be mad at her at all. The past two years with her had been, interesting. Watching as they learned that she had psychic abilities, and watching her get into all sorts of trouble had really changed him. Somehow, when she was around, he would notice that his mask would slip slightly every so often, and that she usually was oblivious.

Thinking about everything, he was startled when he heard her say about a shower, and suddenly got a picture of her in the shower in his head. Luckily, she never saw the slight blush colour his cheeks, and wonder what had caused it. The one bedroom cabin suddenly felt like a blessing to him. Knowing that everything would be changing, he decided to spend this one last night with the girl he had slowly fallen in love with, and maybe take a chance with her.

Mai got out of the shower and walked into the single bedroom to change into her pajamas. Not turning on the light, she never noticed Naru already sitting on the bed. Digging her clothes out, she opened the towel to start changing, when a slight cough made her jump around. She didn't even notice the towel drop to the floor, leaving her standing naked in front of Naru.

"Naru! What are you doing?!" She cried out at him. "Are you trying to scare me to death?" she asked with a hand over her heart.

Naru slowly stood up, just staring at her, smirking when she realized that the towel had fallen. Before she grabbed it, though, she stopped, frozen in place when she realized that Naru was wearing nothing more than a pair of black, silk boxers. She could feel her face turn red, as he slowly walked towards her.

As he gently laid a hand on her bare shoulder, Mai asked "Naru, what..." but was cut off as he pulled her against him and his lips unexpectedly came down on hers. Naru's hands wrapped around her back and one hand into her hair, pulling her closer. Mai's mind was wiped completely blank, and then she started kissing him back, he arms wrapping around his shoulders.

He gently pushed her backwards until he knees connected with the bed, and they both fell back onto it, never breaking the kiss. Naru tilted his head slightly and ran his tongue over her lips, silently begging for entrance. Mai happily opened her mouth, and soon their tongues were at war with each other. Naru's hands slowly started roaming all over her body, and he could feel her slightly tremble. Concerned, he stopped kissing her and started to pull away from her, when her hands suddenly grabbed his shoulders and pulled him back down to her.

"Don't stop, Naru" she whispered, half out of breath.

The way her voice sounded seem to send an electric shot straight down to his groin, and he found himself slowly kissing down her neck and collar bone. Naru was losing control of himself, slowly but surely, as he felt pure bliss when her hands ran over his back around to his abs. Her hands slowly sliding into his boxers as he latched his mouth onto one of her nipples. She arched her back and moaned as she gently grabbed him, making Naru gasp against her breast. She carefully used her legs and feet to start sliding his boxers off of him, while he switched to the other breast, sucking the nipple deeply into his mouth.

Mai couldn't stop the load moan from escaping as she wrapped her small hand around his large member, wondering for just a second if just the size of him would hurt her. All thought went flying out the window as Naru's hand slowly slid up between her legs to rest on her core. Noticing she was already slightly damp, and not from the shower, Naru gently slid one finger into her, making her gasp as he once again captured her lips with his own. Teasing her gently, he kissed his way down over her stomach, and slid a second finger in her as his tongue glided over her sensitive slit. When he could feel her tightening, reaching towards her peak, he slid a third finger in and mercilessly ran his tongue over her slit until she came apart underneath him. He slowly pulled his fingers out and gently kissed his way back up to her lips.

"Naru," she moaned, "please..."

"Please what, Mai?"

"Please, I need...I need...you, I need you," she breathlessly moaned.

"Oh, Mai," he whispered as he slowly, gently, lowering himself over her so the tip of him was gently pushing into her.

"Please," she moaned out again.  
He once again captured her lips with his as he pushed himself the whole way into her tight walls, moaning in bliss at how she felt. He paused for a moment, after feeling the resistance of her barrier break, shocked that he never even thought about whether or not she had been a virgin. Calling himself 50 different types of idiot for losing his control and not thinking about it, he was about to pull back out when she wrapped his legs around his waist and pulled him back in, even deeper. Moaning, and feeling like he was losing his mind, she pulled him back down to kiss her again, and bucked her hips to get him moving again. All coherent thought was washed away as they slipped into rythem together. They both came apart at the same time, Naru capturing her lips as they did. He laid down on his back on the bed next to her, Mai gently resting her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tight against him.

As she drifted off to sleep, Mai whispered "I love you, Naru."

The next morning when Mai woke up, she realized she was in the bed all alone, and that it was really quiet still. Getting up, she showered and dressed, noticing that Naru's things were gone. As she went into the living room, she saw a letter lying on the coffee table, her name written on the envelope. Not knowing why, her hands were shaking as she picked it up and opened it.

 _Mai,_

 _Sorry, but last night never should have happened. It's not me that you love, but Gene, my twin brother. SPR is now officially closed, take care of yourself, Mai._

 _Kazuya "Naru"_


	2. Chapter 2

Four Years Later In England

"Mr. Davis?"

"Yes?"

"Hello, I'm Max Sheppard, owner of the Sheppard hotels. I'm here hoping you may be able to help me," a tall, older gentleman said.

"And how exactly would I be able to help you, Mr. Sheppard?" the graying proffessor asked.

"Well, it's a long story. First I'd like to introduce the two children I have here with me. This is Norris and Narcissa Taniyama. Their mother, Mai, used to work for a company called Shibuya Psychic Research center, perhaps you remember it?"

"Yes, my son Oliver used to run it in Japan."

"I thought so. Their mother, Mai, has been working for my company now for about 3 years, after she was cleared from maternity leave. Recently, a hotel I own and run near Tokyo has been having some major issues. Miss Taniyama would swear that it was the work of a ghost, but none of us believed it until about six weeks ago, when several female staff members started to go missing. Miss Taniyama would, surprisingly, be able to locate them within a few hours after they went missing.  
Several of them swore that it was the spirit of man that had taken them," he explained.

"Go on," Proffessor Davis promtped, now interested.

"Well, last night, Miss Taniyama turned up at my house around midnight, which is extremely odd. She said that she would be the next to go missing, as the spirit was mad that she was interupting his "fun" as she called it. I was sceptical, of course, until this morning when the cameras actually caught her vanishing. Naturally, I came here immediately as your sons company was the only other place on her work history, hoping that somehow you would be able to help," Mr. Sheppard finished.

"Yes, I see why that would be the logical choice."

"Oh, I nearly forgot, when Miss Taniyama came to me, she said to bring her children here, to you, and also that we have 8 days to find her, before we should look for just her body."

"Well, that's interesting. Of course we'll help, seeing as how she was one of ours, but any idea she would say to bring her children here?"

"Only this," he replied, handing over a plain envelope.

"Let's book our flights and then I'll read this. Can you please take a seat outside while I make some phone calls?"

"Sure thing, Professor."

Taking out the brief letter and quickly reading it, Professor Davis picked up his phone and called his wife, while booking plane tickets for all of them.

"Oliver," his mother called through the house. "Oliver!"

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he answered, "What?"

Opening his door, she said "Good, you're not busy, pack your bags."

"What for?" he asked, confussed.

"Just hurry and pack, the flight leaves in 2 hours, and we have to hurry,"she replied, leaving the room.

It was a long flight from London to Tokyo. Oliver, his parents, Lin, two small children, and a man Oliver had never met were all sitting inside their family's private jet.

"Okay," his father began, "this is Mr. Max Sheppard, owner of the Sheppard Hotels, and these two are Norris and Narcissa," his father introduced. "Now, Mr. Sheppard has come to us because his assisstant has gone missing, and according to information, we will have just 7 days to find her before we will be looking for just a body."

Oliver was puzzled. Normally his father would have just turned the man down and referred him to someone else. So why were they all flying to Tokyo?

His father, noticing the look in his son's eyes, continued, "We are taking this case for several reasons." Looking at the small girl, since the boy was already fast asleep, he asked "Narcissa, can you please tell my son here your mother's name?"

Shyly the small girl looked up at him, straight in the eyes and said softly "Mommy's name is Mai, Mai Taniyama."

Oliver was in shock. Mai? His Mai? Wait, HIS? He left her, four years ago, all alone. Still, his heart seemed to stop beating, and he felt dizzy. He never noticed the way Lin and his parents were all looking at him. Gathering his composer, he looked at his father and nodded, he got it. He would do whatever it took to find Mai.

He was so lost in his own thoughts, he almost missed what else was being said.

"What about your dad?" Oliver's father asked.

"Well, um, we don't know who it is. Mommy said some really nasty lady threatened to have us taken away if she told him. All I know is that Mommy cries for him, and she says he's the only man she'll ever love," the little girl almost cried. "I've heard her say she's only ever been with just him, but I really don't know what that's 'posed to mean."

The poor little girl was so close to tears, it just tore at Oliver's heart. He didn't even realize he was doing it, he just held his arms open and the little girl crawled right up onto his lap.

"How old are you?" he asked.

"We're 3 years old," the little girl whispered. "Our birthday was just a few months ago," she was already falling asleep in his lap.

He had to think about this carefully. The little girl said Mai had only ever been with one man, and she had been a virgin that night in the cabin with him...he was slowly doing the math in his head, somewhat in shock. These twins were HIS! He was the missing father.

He was shocked twice in just one day, that just did not happen to Oliver Davis. He hugged the little girl closer to him, and looked his father in the eye with a determined look. They would find Mai, and he would be the father these twins deserved.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Mai slowly gained consciousness. She hazily tried to remember what had happened to her, but she really didn't care. She had made sure that her babies would be taken to their father, it was long past time that he knew about them anyway. She had already resigned herself to this fate, to die alone, tortured, helpless, by a ghost. All she could do now was hope that Naru didn't hate her so much that he would turn away two small children.

After she had read his brief letter, she had gone home and curled herself into a ball in a corner and cried her eyes out. She just stayed there, all alone, crying for days. After a few weeks, she found out she was pregnant. She hadn't even thought about it until that moment, but they had never used any type of protection. She was so confussed after that, for weeks not sure what she would do. When she had finally decided that she was going to keep her baby, she had tried to call Ayako to ask for some advice, only when she did, Ayako screamed at her never to contact her or Monk again or they would report her for harrassment. Mai had no idea what she had done to deserve this, and decided then to send an email to John, since he had already gone back to Austrailia. Unfortunately, the Priest replied with the same message that Ayako had, and Masako Hara had never really liked Mai.

She found herself alone, with no friends, and now a baby on the way. Shortly after she had decided to keep the baby, Masako called her up one day out of the blue, just when Mai was thinking about contacting Naru to let him know.

"I know what happened, Mai," Masako said, "and if you even try to tell Kazuya, I will make sure you never see that precious baby ever again," she warned, and then hung up on her. 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Takigawa?" a voice asked, as the Monk answered the phone.  
"Yes...Naru? I mean Oliver? Hey man, long time. What's up?" the monk asked, in his normally hyper voice.  
"Either name is fine, it doesn't really matter to me. Anyway, I'm in Tokyo and I need your help on an urgent case."  
"How urgent?" he asked. "You know I told you that Ayako is pregnant"  
"I can send Madoka over to help her. Besides, we can't have any women here for this one. It's a bit complicated, so I can't really explain right now. This case is urgent, and the sooner you can be here the better, as in now," he explained, tensly.  
"Yeah, send Madoka over, and where do you need me to be?" the monk asked, concerned. Naru wasn't the most open person, but for him to sound that tense, it had to be bad.  
"The Tokyo branch of the Sheppard Hotel."  
"I know where that is, I can be there in 15 minutes."  
"Thanks, Takigawa," and Naru hung up.  
"What was that about?" Ayako asked, coming out of their bedroom.  
"Oliver is back, and already in Tokyo."  
"Interesting. I wonder what got him back here," she thought aloud.  
"He says he has an urgent case and needs my help. I don't want to leave you alone, though, and it seems he understands that. He's sending Madoka over to stay with you while I'm gone."  
"If he's sending her over here, then that must mean that there won't be any women around on this case," she mused. "Must either be a really dangerous case, or it's just dangerous for us women," she smirked.  
"Sounds like you may be right. It won't take Madoka long to get here," he said while holding his very pregnant wife. "Call me as soon as she gets here so that I know you are both safe, and I will be back as soon as I can. I can't make any promises though on how soon that may or may not be."  
"I know, dear. Just be careful."

The first thing that Takigawa noticed when he got there is that he was the last to arrive. The second thing he noticed was that two small children were sitting on Naru's lap. "Takigawa, Father Brown, Yasuhara, please have a seat," Naru began. "I'd like you all to meet Narcissa and Narushi. Their mother works for Sheppard Hotels, and has gone missing."  
Hosho was confussed, since when did Naru get involved with missing persons cases?  
"I see that look, Monk. No, I don't normally do missing person requests, however I found this case to be much different from normal ones. For starters, she's not the first that has gone missing here. She is, however, the one that helped them find the others before something really terrible had happened to them," he paused to gage their reactions to that bit.  
"You're saying she has some psychic ability?" the young priest asked.o "Yes, she does. Though, the extent of that ability is as of yet undetermined. The second thing that makes this case so different, is that we all know this young woman, and I want to know why not a single one of you hadn't told me anything," he angrily exclaimed.  
Now Yasuhara was confussed. Who did they all know that would make Naru drop everything in England and come back to Japan for her?  
The minutes ticked by with none of them saying anything. They couldn't seem to think of a single person that would elicit this much concern out of Naru. Finally, Naru seemed to almost snap. He sent the two young kids out of the room to somewhere else.  
"Not a one of you has any idea?!" he yelled, shocked. " I want to know just what the hell happened to you all? Fine, I will tell you her name, but none of you are leaving until I know what the hell happened..." he paused before saying "Mai Taniyama."  
Monk was the first to respond, "Why would you care to find Mai? Masako told us all about why you left that day without even mentioning Mai. After what she did, we couldn't care less about her," he practically yelled. "And just what exactly did Masako say Mai did?" Naru asked.  
""Masako told us everything. Honestly, we couldn't believe it at first, but when none of us could contact her for a month, we had to. I mean, if she wasn't really in jail, why else wouldn't she answer her phone or her door? I still don't get it, though. Why would Mai assult you?" Monk asked.  
"Mai assulted me?!" Naru exclaimed. "How could you possibly believe Mai would do that?"  
"Like Monk said," John answered, "we didn't, not at first, anyway. It did take us a while, and a lot of questioning, before we did believe it. Miss Hara's explanation seemed to fit."  
"Exactly what was Miss Hara's reasoning for Mai attacking me?" "Well, it's rather embarrassing to talk about it, really," Yasu blushed.  
"To put it bluntly, Masako explained that you decided to be with her rather than with Mai, and that Mai just couldn't accept that," Monk stated calmly.  
Naru just sat there, stunned. To think that any of them could even believe such a lie shocked him. "Let's set things straight," he said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You all know that I am not Kazuya Shibuya, but Oliver Davis, though I have grown kind of fond of the name 'Naru'. Five years ago, I came here, to Japan, and enlisted Miss Hara's help in finding my dead twin brother, Eugene. Although she often pushed for more, Miss Hara and I had a strictly business relationship. I have never seen her as a romantic interest.  
"You just met those young twins. Mai is their mother. From everything I know, personally, and from speaking with them on the way here," he paused, "I am their father."  
Almost seemingly as one, all of their jaws dropped. "You have got to be kidding," Monk exclaimed, shocked.  
"But..." Yasu began.  
"Obviously, Miss Hara has lied to all of you. From what I've gathered, however, that seems to be the least of her crimes," Naru interrupted.  
"What do you mean?" Monk asked.  
"Miss Hara apparently went so far as to threaten Mai if she were to ever try to tell me. She made sure mai was completely cut off and alone when she needed all of us the most. Now, can we please start looking for her?" Naru was genuinely worried.  
"Any idea where we start?" John stood, ready to go.  
"The best place I can think of if would be wherever they found the other women," Monk stood as well.  
"Mr. Sheppard told us they've already checked those areas, and each victim was found in a different location, so that's not much help." Lin explained. "Hey, Naru, what about using your clairvoyance?" Yasu asked.  
"It is dangerous for me to over use it, and I already have used it," he answered. "All I can tell is that she's alive, and that it appears that she is somewhere underground. I saw a dirt floor and what appeared to be an iron door. Mr. Sheppard has provided us with a set of blue prints of the building, and an old map of the area. We've got a base already set up here," he pointed out a room on the first floor of the building. "Here is the basement. Although I think it unlikely, we are still going to check all these rooms shown here in the basement. Even if she's not in one of them, there might still be some clues these as who or what is doing this. My father, Martin, will be joining us, so there will be three teams of two. Lin and my father, John and Yasu, and Monk, you're with me. What equipment we need and didn't already bring with us, is being supplied by the local police. They've also loaned us two tech specialist that will man the base. They will be helping us keep in contact and coordinate from there. Any questions so far?"  
"Just one, where are we starting?" Yasu asked.  
"I'm getting there. Lin and Martin are going to be working on opening the wall to the tunnel system while we search the rooms in the basement. Lin, go ahead and go now. The rest of us will be starting here," he explained as he pointed to a room on the map. "Once we've cleared the basement, we'll meet up here," he pointed at a wall. "Lin and Martin should have a hole made by the time we get there."  
"How do we keep from getting lost?" Monk asked. "I'm assuming there are no maps for these tunnels."  
"Correct. When we get there, it's a whole new game. Each group will take several rolls of colored string. They'll glow in the dark, so finding them won't be a problem. Each team will take a different color, so if we need to get to another group quickly, we can just find and follow their color. We will be using these radios," as he passed one to each man, "to keep in contact. Do not split up for any reason. We don't know who or what we may be up against yet, but each of you has a radio just in case you do somehow get separated. Is everyone ready?" he paused for a minute. "Then let's go find Mai!"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Mai slowly woke up again. As she tried to open her eyes, she realized that someone must have placed a sleeping mask over her eyes. She couldn't see anything, and she was freezing. It took her a minute to realize that she was no longer standing, but seemed to be strapped to a table of some kind. Not knowing if she was alone or not, she slightly moved her right hand, hoping nobody was there to notice.  
"Ah, you're awake," came a deep male voice. "So glad you finally decided to join us."  
"You're much better looking than the last woman," came a raspy voice.  
"Yes," came yet another man's voice, "although you ruined our fun with her. I'm afraid you won't be quite so lucky. "Now, since you can't see us," came the first voice again, "and we don't dare tell you our names, you'll need to call us something when we make you scream out. Call me 'A' then."  
"So I guess that would make me 'B'," said the man with the raspy voice.  
"That leaves me as 'C', I suppose," the third man said. Not very origional, Mai thought. But, she would need to call them something, even if it would only be in her own head. "You've been a very bad girl," A told her. "You have been ruining our fun. You need to be punished."  
Mai could feel one of them slowly creeping a hand up one of her legs. She knew she was only in her bra and panties, and that there was nothing she could do to stop them. His hand moving so slowly was driving her fear higher and higher. Three men, and she knew she wasn't going to die quickly. Her only hope was to pass out and hope that they wouldn't violate her while she slept, but she was too alert. Even without seeing, she knew she wouldn't be able to pass out quickly enough.  
She tried to scream, only to realize that her mouth wouldn't move. "Like my new drug, Pet?" B asked her, laughing. It won't let you do anything we don't give you permission to do. You can scream all you want inside your own pretty little head, though."  
A hand was now resting on top of her panties, and a second one was on her shoulder, moving down slowly. "This little miracle drug of mine," B continued, "also helps heighten your pleasure and pain. It won't last more than a few hours, but even if you do scream, no one will ever hear you down here. The next few hours will be the most pleasurable, and painful, you've ever experienced."  
Mai was silently crying as a hand roughly grabbed her breast through her bra. The hand on her panties was slowly rubbing her through them, and her traitorous body was responding.  
"Look!" C laughed, "Her panties are already getting wet, and we haven't even gotten started yet."  
Her restraints loosened, but as hard as she tried, her body just wouldn't respond to her. Suddenly, she felt her panties ripped off of her, and then the freezing air hit her nipples as her bra vanished. Two rough, calloused hands grabbed her ankles, and she was pulled until she felt like she was about to fall off of the table. Her legs were pulled apart, and her feet placed into what seemed like stirrups on a doctors table. Her wrists were handcuffed and secured above her head, so that her entire body was openly exposed to the three men. Even though both of her letters to her boss and to Naru told them not to look for her, deep in her heart she hoped that Naru would come look for her. Though she knew that he must hate her, she prayed that she was strong enough now to reach him, he was her only hope. As one of the men roughly grabbed her, and started biting every inch from her knee up her inner thigh, she gathered all of the pain and power inside of her for one desperate cry.  
"HELP!" she screamed in her head. As the first drop of blood from her leg hit the floor, blackness overtook her.

"Mai."  
"Gene? What are you still doing here?"  
"Not really sure, but good job, Mai."  
"What do you mean 'good job'? What did I do?"  
"He heard you."  
"Huh? Who? I'm so confused."  
Laughing, Gene replied, "Of course you are. You just wouldn't be Mai if you weren't. Good job with that scream, my idiot brother heard you. He's here, they all are, looking for you."  
"Naru came? Wait, you said everybody? So, Monk, John, Yasu, and Ayako too?"  
"No, not Ayako. Naru thought it would be too dangerous to have any women with them, so it's just the men. Madoka's with Ayako, though, so I'm sure she knows everything now too."  
"No Masako?"  
"No. Naru did try to call her, not knowing what had happened between the two of you, of course, but she was busy on a movie set. Now they all know what really happened, and I don't think you'll have to worry about her anymore."  
"I don't know, Gene. I have this strange feeling that Masako's somehow involved with the men that took me."  
"I trust your instincts, but I don't know anything about that. I still can't reach my idiot brother to help bring him to you, but I know your scream worked. He heard you loud and clear, and he's worried about you."  
"He is? But he hates me!"  
"He's never hated you, Mai. If anything, he hated the thought that it was me, not him, in your dreams. He thought you were confussing the feelings you had. You and I both know better, but that's what he believed. Whether or not he still does, I do not know. I do know how he feels about you, and it's not hate."  
"What does he feel for me?"  
"I can't tell you, he has to."  
"But, Gene..."  
"No, Mai. He needs to say it, for both of you."  
"Fine. You're not going to leave me here alone with these men are you?"  
"No. I'm staying with you."  
"Thank you..." and Mai drifted of fully into sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The four men had quickly and effectively cleared all of the rooms in the basement. Unfortunately, none of them had found a single clue of who or what could have taken Mai. As they got ready to enter the tunnels, Naru froze.  
Noticing immediately, Lin asked "Naru, Naru! Are you okay? What's wrong?"  
"It's Mai."  
"Huh? Where?" Monk looked around, hopeful.  
"I heard Mai scream. It felt like it was in my head," he was confussed. Now it was Lin's turn to be stunned. "In your head? Are you sure, Naru?"  
"Possitive. She's not safe, though."  
"Okay, could you tell anything else from it?" Lin asked.  
"I did get a general direction. We need to head that way," he said, pointing left through the tunnel.  
"Then I guess we should all start in the left tunnel, and split up when it separates," Martin said.  
They found the tunnel split into three paths only about 50 feet in. So, each team took a different path, letting their string unravel along behind them. The tunnel that Naru and Monk took seemed to be rather big. They moved through it quickly and quietly. "So, Naru, you're a father, huh?"  
"Yes, I guess I am."  
"How do you feel about that?"  
"It's still sinking in, but I'm excited and terrified. My mother is in love, however."  
"Of course she is, grandchildren!" he laughed.  
"Yes. But, all of a sudden, not only am I a father, I'm a father of twins. I didn't have any idea about them, or even that Mai was pregnant. I feel terrible. I shouldn't have left her like that," he whispered.  
"Yeah, but you're not alone there, my friend. We all left her. Now, knowing the whole truth, I feel like such an ass. We should have at least heard her out when she called us that last time, but Ayako and I both were still so angry thinking she actually had hurt you."  
"She never hurt me. I really must have hurt her, though. Narcissa, my...d..dau...daughter, said that Mai sometimes cries at night, for me. I can't begin to imagine what she's been through."  
"It's strange for you isn't it? Saying daughter? Icaught that stumble," he teased.  
"A bit, yes. It will take some getting used to."  
"You seem much more open with your emotions, Naru. It's interesting."  
"Finally getting my brother's body helped me move on, I guess."  
"And now, you have twins to help you. Life's going to be a lot different for you now, man. Believe me, everything changes."  
"I guess you would know. How is Ayako doing?"  
"She's okay, but impatient. The baby's due in just a couple more weeks. Who would have thought we'd end up together with the way we fight?" he laughed.  
"Mai did. She told me once, about a week before it all went to hell. Said that you two fought like an old married couple, and that she wouldn't be surprised at all if you two did get married."  
Monk was shocked. "Well, wow! Guess she was right after all."  
"She usually is right, about lots of things. Reading the letter she sent with her boss for me, she kept saying in it that she didn't want me to come look for her. But, just the fact that she wrote it, knowing that he would come to me, told me she knew I wouldn't listen and would come anyway. Makes me wonder just how strong her powers have grown."  
"Yeah, I've been wondering that too, especially since you could hear her scream in your head. She must have some special kind of link with you to be able to reach you and not the rest of us."  
Naru stumbled. "You think so?"  
"Yes, why else would you be the only one of us to hear her cry out like that?"  
"You have a point," he conceded. Now he was curious. If she had some kind of special link with him, just what was it, and why hadn't he felt anything from her before?  
Monk seemed to be thinking along the same line. "Then again, if she does have some kind of link with you, why didn't she use it before? And why isn't she using it now, to help guide us towards her?"  
"Yeah... but maybe she can't. Maybe she's been drugged, or is unconscious now, so she can't connect with any of us."  
"Good point. Hey! Naru, look, do those look like footprints to you?"  
"Yes, they are!" He pulled out his radio, "John, Lin, can you guys hear me?"  
"I hear you," John responded.  
"Loud and clear," came Lin's response.  
"We've got footprints here, about 100 yards in the tunnel from where we split at."  
"Okay, heading your way now," John came back.  
"I've sent my shiki your way, we'll be there as soon as we can, but the tunnel is too narrow to go quickly," Lin replied.  
"Okay, be careful," Naru told them.  
"We'll wait here for John and Yasu before we go any farther."  
"Good idea, Monk. We don't want to destroy the prints before they can see them too."  
It took a good 25 minutes for John and Yasu to meet up with Naru and Monk. Their tunnel was wide, but some parts of it had collapsed over the years, making the path rocky and unstable. The tunnel that Naru and Monk had been in was remarkably well compared to the other two. "Wow, you two sure got the luck of the draw," Yasu joked. "Our tunnel was almost falling in on us."  
"Yeah, this one looks like it's been used quite a bit," Monk replied.  
"Okay, John, Yasu, here are the footprints. Take a good look, just in case we have to split up again, you need to know what to watch for," Naru told them.  
"Got it, shall we continue?" John asked.  
They continued going through the tunnel, a bit more slowly now that there were four of them, and they were watching out for the footprints. It wasn't very far along when the tunnel again split, this time only in two. Unfortunately, the prints seemed to stop and vanish.  
"We'll take the right," Monk said.  
"Okay, then we'll go this way. Call if you find anything."  
Monk and Naru only seemed to go 50 feet in, when the tunnel hit a dead end. "We got a dead end over here, how about you two, John?"  
"The path splits. One goes deeper in, and the other looks like it leads back the way we came from," he answered.  
"We'll be right there, hang tight a minute."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Mommy, Mommy!" Mai was dreaming. "Tell me about Daddy please?" Oliver was asking.  
"Yes, please, Mommy!" came Narcissa.  
"Oh, alright. Well, you're daddy is from a place really far away, called England. He's got black hair, and blue eyes, and he can be really sweet sometimes. But, most of the time, he seems to be really distant and distracted. I don't know much about his family, but I do know he had a twin brother, too."  
"Really?" Narcissa and Oliver both asked at the same time.  
"Yep, but his brother died. That's why he came to Japan, to find his brother and take him back home."  
"That's so sad," Narcissa cried. "Olly," she called her brother, "promise me that if something ever happens to me, you'll come for me too?" she begged.  
"Nothing will ever happen to you, Cissy. I'm your big brother, and I will protect you!"  
Mai couldn't help but laugh at that statement. Her twins were so young, and yet so far ahead of other kids the same age. "Mommy," Narcissa whined, "I want a baby brother too."  
"You do?" Mai asked.  
"Yes! I want a little brother so that I can be the big sister and protect him!" she exclaimed.  
"Well, my sweet little angel, I'm afraid that's not possible," Mai was fighting back tears.  
"Why not?"  
"Well, because I would want your baby brother, or sister, to have the same daddy you two have, but he hates me. Chances are, I will probably never see your daddy again."  
"Oh, Mommy, I didn't mean to make you cry. I'm so sorry," Narcissa was now crying too. "I don't need a baby brother or sister to be happy, I just want you to be happy, Mommy."  
"Me too, Mommy. I love you so much," Oliver said. Both kids curled up on Mai's lap on the couch. Hugging them both close, Mai told them, "I am happy. How could I not be happy when I have the two best things that ever happeded to me?"  
"What's that, Mommy?" Oliver asked.  
"I have the two of you. I love you both with all my heart, and I'm so happy that I'm your mommy."

Peeking into Mai's dreams, Gene saw the tears, and knew that Mai had been lying to her two children. Oh, she was happy alright, but she missed his stupid brother. Naru had left her, and then all of her friends had left her. She might be somewhat happy with her babies, but Gene knew that Mai's heart was still broken. It hurt Gene to see Mai so sad and broken. Mai wasn't her old self anymore. She never fought back, it seemed like her spark had gone out of her. She would still fight for her children, but she wouldn't fight for herself or anyone else anymore. His stupid, stupid brother was in love with Mai, but getting him to admit that, either to himself or to her, would be the only way to help her even start to heal.  
Gene never wished so hard that he was still alive and could punch Naru. The idiot needed to get it through his head that the two of them were meant to be together, that Mai never loved him the way she loved Naru. He was only her spirit guide, and a friend to be there when she needed him. But, now she needed Naru. Whether or not Naru would admit it, he needed Mai, too.

"She's out cold," C stated.  
"Should we inform them?" B asked.  
"Probably," A replied. "I'll call him, C, you deal with Her." "Do I really have to? She's creepy."  
"Yes, you have to. She likes you, so she's better with you than us two."  
"Fine. Let's go back out into the real world and make our phone calls. B, you stay here and watch our guest. Don't kill her just yet, we haven't had our fun," A laughed.  
Once alone, B decided he was still going to have fun with their little pet, regardless of whether she was awake or not. He was A, he didn't care if she screamed or not. Grabbing one nipple, he started biting around her other breast, while pulling the nipple as hard as he could.  
Conscious or not, he knew she felt the pain. Every little bite he made was bleeding, and the blood was turning him on. He wouldn't do her unless she was awake, so he grabbed a huge dildo with his free hand and rammed it into her as hard as he could. Knowing A had wiped her off, and that she would be completely dry now, his wish was answered as she cried out in her sleep. He switched breasts and started biting the other one while pulling the nipple. To him, women weren't human, they were just like animals. They were meant for nothing more then pleasing men and having babies. Any woman that wanted to have a job, other than having babies, needed to be taught their place. This woman especially pissed him off. Not only did she work, she had interfered in their fun. Their last pet hadn't even made it out of the building before this bitch had led the police to her. He pulled the dildo out and rammed it back in again, making her breast wigle. "Guess I'm not pulling hard enough," he laughed, and pulled even more. Conscious or not, she was now whimpering from the pain. "Like my drug, do ya?" he pulled it out and rammed it again, this time deeper. "Every bit of pain, heightened. It's much more fun to cause pain than pleasure," he started ramming her faster. Every time her breast moved, he pulled her nipple further from her body. He took perverse delight in watching every bite mark drip blood, and from her breast turning colors from lack of blood flow.  
"So much fun, my little pet," he mumbled continuing to bite every inch of flesh around her breasts, and working his way down her flat stomach. "Ah, the blood," he delighted, seeing the dildo covered in blood and her fluids. He continued ramming it into her as hard and fast as he could, feeling himself getting harder just watching the blood drip from her breasts and from between her legs. He loved seeing the blood drop on the floor from her still open bite marks on her legs as well.

Gene watched in horror at what this man was doing to Mai. He couldn't save her, but Naru could. He reached into Mai's dream and tried to pull her. Not to consciousness, but into a deeper state where she could astral project herself. Naru was her only hope at getting out of this without being even more violated, and Gene was determined that Mai not be made afraid of being intimate with a man for the rest of her life. He saw Mai as the sister he and Naru had never had, and he hoped Naru would admit his feelings and make her his sister-in-law. But, before anything else could happen, he had to get Naru to rescue Mai. Maybe once he saw not only what these men had done to her, but also how deeply they all had hurt Mai, it would be easier for him to admit he was in love with her.

"Where am I?" she asked.  
"I pulled you out of there. This is the tunnel you're being held in."  
"Why?"  
"Let's go this way, and I'll explain," he told her, leading her down the tunnel. "Naru's down here looking for you, but he doesn't know where to go. I figured if I could pull you out here, we could show him the right direction."  
"They're doing something awful to my body, aren't they? Why else would you pull me out so suddenly?"  
"Yes, but there's only one of them in there now. I don't know where the other two went, but they're not underground anymore. Don't think about it, though. The faster my idiot brother finds you, the less that monster can do to you. So lets help him get there soon, okay?"  
"Okay, you win, this time," she laughed. "Why thank you, m'lady," he laughed and mocked a bow. "Let's wait here," he said as they reached the end of the tunnel. "They should be close by now, so we'll wait here until they see you. They won't see me, of course, but I won't leave you until you're safe."  
"Thank you, Gene. I'd probably be really terrified right now if you weren't here with me."  
Gene took her hand, "You're like a sister to me, Mai. I could never leave you knowing that you weren't safe and loved. I love you like I would love a sister. How Naru could ever think differently is beyond me, but he's stubborn."  
Mai didn't know how to respond to that, so she blushed and just nodded her head. Naru had really hurt her, walking away so easily, as if it had all meant nothing to him, like she had meant nothing to him. She pretended to be happy for her kids, but she knew she would never be completely okay. She had thought that she would just be left to starve or dehydrate to death, and she had been okay with that, if that was her fate. But, knowing now, that these men were determined to violate her, she was glad Naru hadn't listened to her and had come to find her. She didn't care what shape her body was in, Naru already hated her. So, she didn't feel embarrased or shamed that he might see her like that. He couldn't hate her more for it, at least. The only thing she feared, is that he would take away her babies. If he took them from her, she would have nothing left to live for. Her friends had abandoned her and hated her now. If she hadn't been pregnant, she might have already killed herself as it was. Then, after her twins were born, she felt like she could finally be a little bit happy again. She should have known better. Nothing in her life had ever been easy, or all that great. Except for that brief time she had worked for SPR, and had what she thought were real friends, she had never been really happy. That last night with Naru, she had finally told him how she really felt about him, and he had left her, without even saying goodbye in person. Instead, he had left her a letter, telling her that she couldn't possibly love him. It had been too much for her. Naru leaving, and SPR closing, it was too much. She had locked herself away, until she found out that she was pregnant. At least, she figured, Gene hadn't left her. Even if he wasn't the man she loved, at least she had him. For the past 4 years, Gene had been her only friend and comfort, even if he was only in her own head. Now, Gene was doing everything he could to try to help save her. She didn't know what was happening to her body, but, right now, she was okay with that. Naru, Monk, John and Yasu were out here somewhere looking for her. Lost in her own thoughts, Mai didn't see the flash of light right away. It wasn't until it got closer to her that she noticed it.  
"Mai!" Naru yelled.  
Then she was gone, back into her own dreams. She was dreaming an old dream, again, one she hadn't had in years.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Mai!" Naru yelled, and to his astonishment, she disappeared.  
"Did you see that?" Monk asked, disbelief evident in his voice.  
"Yes, I saw her too," Yasu mumbled. "We all did," Lin uttered.  
"I would take that to mean that this is the tunnel where the room is that I saw," Naru supposed.  
"That would make sense," Martin replied. "I had no idea this woman was powerful enough to astral project like that, though."  
"Yes, she did it once before. On a case we had with SPR. Though, in that instance, the only person that saw her was Miss Hara, as we were in the process of searching for her," John explained.  
"Thank you," Martin replied. "Oliver has not told me a lot about the cases he did here while he was searching for Eugene's body."  
"Naru! How could you not tell your father?" Monk admonished.  
"I will later, now is not the right time," Naru quipped. "You're right, I appologize. Let's go get Mai," he said, apolgetically. They continued down the tunnel at a faster pace, looking for what Naru had described as an iron door. As they got close, they could all hear a male voice laughing. "Bleed more for me, pet."  
Naru froze as the rest of them rushed forward. Spotting the door, Monk slammed it open, and they all ran into the room. Their blood ran cold at the sight before them. Mai was tied naked to a table, blood seeping from bites on her legs and chest. A big man stood over her unconscious form, ramming something covered in blood into her. Mai was still unconscious, but her senses were responding to the power radiating out of Naru. Slipping back into a semi-conscious state, she reached her own power out and grabbed Naru's away from him. Blending hers slightly into his, she sent it back in his direction. The blow was so forceful she felt it wash over her, and knew the man over her had to be dead. Naru draped his own coat over her body, and as the restraints were pulled off of her, he gathered her into his arms and held her close to him. "Let's get her to the hospital," she heard Naru say, as she slipped back into her dreams, fully happy once again.

"Time to wake up, Mai," Gene told her.  
"But I don't want to," she moaned.  
"Why not?" he asked her.  
"It's lonely out there. At least here I still have you, I'm not all alone."  
"You won't be alone out there, either. Not anymore. I really doubt my brother is going to be stupid enough to leave you alone again."  
"I don't want to risk it, I just want to stay here. I'm safe here."  
"Naru will keep you safe out there."  
"No! He'll leave again, and now that he knows about the twins, he'll take them with him. I'll never see him or my babies again!" she sobbed.  
"Come on, Mai. You won't know unless you go and find out. I'll still be here, and if it's too much you can always come back."  
"Just, just a few more minutes? Please?" she begged.  
Against her wishes, Mai was slowly drifting back into reality. Without opening her eyes, she realized she wasn't naked anymore. She didn't remember Naru carrying her out of her nightmare, but she knew she wasn't tied down anymore either. Trying to move her hand, she realized something was holding her hand tightly, and whatever she was now lying on, there was a weight next to her.  
Opening her eyes slowly, so that the light didn't blind her, Naru gradually came into view. He wasn't sitting next to the bed, as she initially expected, but instead was curled up on the bed next to her, and was holding her hand tightly. She blinked a few times, trying to get things better into focus. Rubbing her eyes seemed to wake the man next to her.  
"Mai!" he practically shouted. "You're awake, finally. I was so worried about you."  
"Y...y..." she throat was so dry she couldn't talk.  
He reached beside him somewhere and held a cup with a straw to her mouth. "It's just water," he explained. After a long drink, she tried again, "You were worried about me?"  
"Of course I was. How could you think I wouldn't be?"  
"Oh, I don't know, maybe because you hate me!" she yelled. She pulled her hand away from him, and rolled over. She couldn't stop the tears from falling.  
"I don't hate you," he said. He curled up against her back and wrapped his arms around her. "I could never hate you, Mai. Please don't cry."  
Naru sounded so desperate, Mai thought. She wondered if maybe he really didn't hate her, but he had hurt her so much. If he did decide to take her twins from her, she knew that not only did he have every right to do so, but there was nothing she would be able to do to fight him. She lost her will to fight when he left her that night.  
"Mai?" he was desperate. "Please Mai? Look at me?"  
"I can't, it hurts to move," she apologized. "What did they do to me?"  
"Oh, Mai, I'm so sorry. I didn't even think," he got off of the bed and walked around so that he was facing her. Holding her hand, he asked "They? There was more than one?"  
"Yes, there were three of them. Though, by the time Gene pulled me out to help you find me, he said two of them had left. He didn't know where they went, but they weren't underground anymore."  
"Gene's still with you?" Naru sounded jealous.  
"Yeah, I guess so. I mean, he wasn't around a whole lot until this happened, but I guess he didn't want me to be alone with those men. He did help me," she explained.  
This seemed to make Naru feel a little bit better, as he didn't sound quite so sullen then.  
"I'm so sorry, Mai. We never should have left you all alone like we had. It's night now, so I'm the only one here with you, but I know the others feel just as badly as I do."  
"Where are...where..." she couldn't bring herself to say that they were his children too.  
"Our children?" he stunned her. "Yes, I figured that much out, I'm their father. No, I haven't told them that yet, so don't worry. I figured that was something we should both tell them," he watched as the slight fear, and was it regret?, leave her eyes. "They are safe, and with their grandparents. My parents know too, but they aren't saying anything without you there, so don't worry so much."  
"I'm sorry, Naru," she whimpered. "I really wanted..."  
He cut her off, "I know. Narcissa can be very, talkative," he semi-laughed.  
Mai giggled and slightly nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah, Oliver is the quiet one. I wanted to name them both after you, so that they would at least have something of their dad."  
Naru sighed, "I know what Miss Hara did, and I don't blame you one little bit for not telling me. I am angry, but at her, not you. You had no choice."  
"Thank you."  
"Now, as for what those men did to you, don't worry about it. As you said, there was only one by the time we got there, though it seems like he did do a lot of damage to your body. None of them violated you with their own bodies, the doctors confirmed that. The one did use an object on you, however."  
Mai just nodded, understanding. At least, she figured, Naru was still the only man she had ever been intimate with. "The doctors said they bit you, a lot, and that there were two different bite patterns. I don't expect you to be able to tell us what they looked like, you were blindfolded after all."  
"No, I can't tell you what they look like, but I can tell you that one of them, I think he was the one in charge, said he used shiki to take me there."  
"Well that's very helpful, thank you." He let go of her hand and shot of a text message on his phone, then held her hand again. "I just told Lin, and he'll know to look into it."  
"If you do find them, you have to promise me, you won't do what you did down in that room."  
"I can't promise that. Seeing you like that, it just flipped a switch somewhere inside of me. Speaking of that, I know you weren't conscious, but how did you know? And what the hell was that you did?"  
"No, I wasn't conscious, but I was somewhere in between. I could feel the power just pouring off of you, and I don't know, I just did what Gene told me to try to do."  
"Gene told you to do that?"  
"He told me to try to catch, and blend, my power into yours. He hoped that it would help keep it from being too much on your body, and help you. Did it work?"  
He felt as though someone had sucker-punched him. "Yes," he whispered, "it worked perfectly."  
"Naru, I'm still tired, and I know you. You're not going to leave me alone right now, are you?"  
"No, I'm not leaving."  
"Good, but I know those chairs aren't comfortable. So, if you want, you can..."  
Naru had already started moving before she could finish. For the first time, in what felt like forever to her, Mai fell asleep happy. Naru was curled up against her, and had his arms around her. Mai fell asleep with a smile on her face.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"Mai, Mai, you need to wake up," came a gentle voice in her ear.  
"Five more minutes," she mumbled.  
"Mai, Monk and the others are going to be here any minute. So will Oliver and Narcissa."  
"Argh..." Mai groaned, slowly coming awake. "Fine, fine."  
"Good, think you can move just a little? My arm is pinned behind you."  
Mai froze, then giggled. "Oh, Naru! I thought it was just a dream. I'm sorry." She shifted just enough for him to pull his arm out from under her.  
"A dream huh? You dream about me, do you?" Mai, fully awake now, realized her blunder and blushed. The others chose that moment to walk in.  
"Mai! You must be feeling much better, you're as bright red as a red beet," Monk laughed.  
"Don't pick on her so much," Ayako slapped him across the back of his head. "Mai, I'm so sorry. We really had no idea that Miss Hara was such a liar," she apologized.  
"No, it's okay. Now get in here and sit, you look like you're about to need this bed more than me," Mai laughed. She was absolutely delighted as she watched Monk hover around Ayako. "I knew it!" she shouted.  
Naru just gave Monk a look that seemed to say 'I told you so'.  
"Don't give me that look, Naru! Yes, Mai, you were apparently right," Monk conceded.  
"What was she right about now?" Ayako was confused.  
"Naru told me, while we were looking for Mai, that apparently she once made the comment that she wouldn't be surprised if you and I were to get married someday," Monk admitted.  
"Well, damn!" Ayako laughed. "Looks like she was right, after all. You know, Mai, if you had tried to tell me that, I probably would have thought about checking you into a mental unit," she was laughing so hard tears were rolling down her cheeks.  
"Careful there, Ayako, you look like you could go into labour anytime now," Mai laughed.  
"I'm due in a couple more weeks, but yeah, you're right. Almost anything could throw me into labour now," she agreed, calming slightly. "Madoka had her work cut out for her, keeping me calm while trying to explain what was going on to me. I'm so glad you're going to be okay."  
"Thanks."  
"We were all worried about you, Mai," John chimed in. "I don't believe I've ever seen Naru so unraveled before."  
Lin and Madoka just nodded in agreement. "Don't think you can hide back there, Lin," Mai giggled. "I see the rings."  
"I don't know what you're talking about," Lin tried looking everywhere except at Mai.  
"Oh, come on! You got married!" "Yes," Madoka admitted. "Lin and I got married, and I haven't had a chance to say anything yet, but," turning to look Lin in the eyes, "I'm pregnant!"  
"Wha...When...how...?" Lin was in shock.  
"Well, Lin, you know," Mai couldn't keep a straight face, "when a man and woman love each other..."  
The whole room broke out in laughter. "Naru, catch," Mai warned.  
She was right, too. Naru got to Lin just as he started to fall over from the shock. "How could you tell?" he asked her. "It's normal, or so I've been told. Madoka, I'm guessing you were told you wouldn't be able to have children?" Mai asked.  
"Yes, we were told that," she whispered. "Well, congrats!"  
"Thanks. Though, I think it's time you fill us in on these two," she replied, as the door burst open and two little kids came running into the room, ready to jump onto the bed with their mom.  
"Mommy!" they both shouted.  
"Oh, Oliver, Narcissa, I've missed you so much!" Mai admitted, while Naru helped lift the two little ones to sit on the bed with her. "I will, but I think Naru and I need to see these two for a little while first," she told the room. "That's perfectly understandable," Yasu finally spoke. "We'll come back later."  
They all gave their farewells and left the four of them alone.  
"Oliver, Narcissa, were you two good without me there?"  
"We were fine, Mommy," Oliver answered quietly.  
"We missed you, but we had so much fun too. Don't ever leave us again, Mommy!" Narcissa cried.  
"I won't, not as long as I can help it," she told them, holding them both close. Mai noticed Naru standing off to one side of the room, almost like he was afraid of interrupting. She gently patted the bed next to her, silently telling him to come join them.  
"Olly, Cissa, there's someone here you two need to meet," she told them.  
"Oh, we already met him," Narcissa said. "He's Mr. Davis."  
Mai laughed at the look on Naru's face. "So...sorry..." she giggled, "can't help it."  
"Please, don't call me Mr. Davis. That makes me look around for my father," he told the two.  
"Then what should we call you?" Oliver asked.  
"Well...you two, you could call him Daddy," Mai answered.  
Both their eyes went wide and whipped back and forth between the two adults.  
"Mommy?" Narcissa asked.  
"Yes?"  
"He's our daddy?" Oliver questioned.  
"He is."  
"He's not going to take us away from you, mommy, is he?" Mai and Naru both realized they were really scared. "No, I'm not going to take you away from your mommy," he told them.  
"Are you sure?"  
"Yes, I'm sure."  
That's all it took for both kids to suddenly jump into Naru's arms. The look on his face had Mai laughing silently, though she couldn't hide the tears of laughter. 'Hug them' she mouthed at him, answering his silent question.  
"We get our mommy back, and a daddy on the same day!" Oliver practically shouted.  
"That's not all you get," Naru told them. He watched as their eyes shifted to meet his, "You also get..."  
"Grandparents," said Luella, as she and Martin opened the door. "Really?" Narcissa looked back and forth, questioning them with her eyes. At Mai's nod, both of them took off and launched themselves into each of Martin and Luella's arms. "Oliver, Narcissa, your mom still needs some more rest before the doctors will let her leave," Luella told them, patiently. "Would you two like to come home and stay with us until she gets out of here?"  
They waited for Mai's nod saying it was okay before agreeing to it.  
"Good, go give your mom and dad a hug, and we'll come visit them again later."  
After lots of hugs and kisses, Mai and Naru were once again alone. "Mai," Naru looked her in the eyes, "we have a lot to talk about."  
"Yes, we do," she agreed.  
"Do you feel up to it right now?" he asked, concerned.  
"Well, actually, that depends."  
"Depends? On what?"  
"On one thing, I really need to use a rest room..." she mumbled. "Oh," Naru flushed. He reached up across Mai, and pressed a button next to her.  
The nurse was there a few minutes later.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Well, then, where do we start?" Naru asked.  
"How about we start with the fact that you left me" Mai said coldly. He had been afraid of this. He wasn't sure he was ready to explain himself. What he had done had been cowardly, and his actions had hurt her. Naru stood up and began pacing through the hospital room. He wasn't ready for this. He turned to face Mai,to tell her that he couldn't do this, not yet. But, what he saw made him freeze.  
Standing next to Mai, with a hand on her shoulder, stood Gene. Or, at least a spirit form of his brother.  
"Naru," Gene's voice came from Mai's mouth, "you have to tell her. Now!"  
"I'm not..."  
"Yes! You are!" Gene yelled at him. "Now is the right time, and she needs to know. If you don't do it, when she has given you the perfect opening, you will never have another chance. She is ready to run, Naru."  
"Run?" "She's hurting so much that I feel it," he tried. "I'm just a spirit, but her pain is so great that it affects me. I can't leave her when she's like this. If you don't tell her now, she won't push you, but you'll never see her again, either."  
Naru was skeptical. "She'd never leave our kids," he replied.  
"She'll have you thrown out, and tell the hospital staff not to let any visitors in." Gene was losing his patience. "There are still two other men out there after her, and there's someone else too. Do you think they don't know where she is? One of them used Shiki to take her. Do you honestly think that they wouldn't kill her immediately if they got her again? You need to stay here with her to protect her.  
"Mai's spirit is broken, she has no more will to fight. I've been trying to help her, but I can't. You are the one that hurt her, and now you are the only one that can heal that pain. If they take her, and you haven't told her how you really feel about her, she will believe, even more deeply than she does now, that you hate her. She will give into them, and she will die!"  
Now Naru was shaken, and that's just where Gene was trying to push him. He was finally getting the picture through his stubborn head.  
"You've always kept your emotions bottled up and locked away. It's time to open yourself up. Mai needs you, and so do those two adorable kids of yours. You will get hurt, but Mai will always be there, right by your side. She will push you, challenge you, and you'll become a better man because of her. That's only possible if you open yourself up to her now, though. You can be happy, but only if you don't blow it here, now."  
Seeing the questions swimming behind his brothers eyes, Gene continued, "Yes, Oliver, Mai is your match. Her powers should have already told you that, but you are stubborn. Mine never blended with yours the way hers can. She didn't even have anyone to teach her, not like you and I did. I'm just her spirit guide, I can only tell her where to look for answers.  
"I told her to try to grab onto the power you had built up, and then amplify it the way you and I used to. It was her idea to try blending her own into yours. I've got to say, not only was I impressed, I was just as stunned as you were. Though, you did seem to take it much more in stride than I was able to," he laughed. "I couldn't reach you, and Masako couldn't reach me either. But, for some reason, I was able to be there with Mai. I believe, now, that I was meant to help bring the two of you together. It's the only thing that makes any kind of sense to me, anyway.  
"Interesting..." Gene seemed to phase out for just a second before reappearing. "Naru, Masako is coming, you need to keep her out of here, and away from Mai!"  
Naru immediately ran out of the room and grabbed a nearby security guard. Telling him that Miss Masako Hara was not welcome, the guard assured Naru that she wouldn't be permitted anywhere near Miss Taniyama's room.  
"Okay, Gene, what was that about?" Naru asked. "I'm not sure, only that Miss Hara's intentions were loud and clear. She intended to distract you so that Mai could be taken again, I believe she's with those men."  
"I don't know how she found out Mai was here, but as soon as she's permitted to leave, I intend to have her move in with me. Hara-me will not be able to reach Mai at all."  
"Good idea. She's like a sister to me, Naru. To her, I'm just like a brother. Take care of her, and stop worrying so much. You cannot change the past, all you can do it try to make up for it now. "I've been telling her to push you, and if you do tell her your feelings, it may be enough to give her the courage she needs to do what needs to be done. Do not give up, and don't get discouraged. Stop worrying so much and make her family. Mai won't remember any of this, but I can not sustain it for much longer. Will you tell her?"  
"Yes," Naru answered.  
"By the way, this is her power, not mine," and Gene faded away.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Mai felt as though she had been in a trance. She felt groggy, where she had been very alert just a minute ago. Looking over to the clock on the wall, she noticed that a hour seemed to have passed, yet she couldn't remember any of it. "What happened?" she asked.  
"Gene," Naru stated simply.  
"What? Why? How?"  
"Don't worry. He just gave me a boot in the ass."  
At that, Mai burst out laughing. "I wish I could have seen that," she admitted.  
"Not literally. He is still dead, after all," though Naru did chuckle. "I was being a baka, so he used you to give me a push."  
"So, does that mean you'll tell me why you left me the way you did?"  
Naru took a deep breath, and nodded. "This isn't easy for me. I was about to chicken out, if it wasn't for Gene, I probably would have too." He looked over at Mai, but for once, he couldn't read her.  
Mai had learned how to shut herself down the way Naru seemed to do. She made it so that her emotions weren't visible to the people around her. She knew it was mean to do it, but Gene had told her Naru needed this. So, as much as it may hurt both of them, for a little while, she did it. "Mai, I am so sorry. I never should have left you like that. I knew it was wrong, and I knew I was being a coward and a jerk, but it was like I couldn't help it. When you admitted that you loved me, I immediately told myself you were lying. That it wasn't me you were in love with, but Gene. I was so used to everyone always liking Gene more. "He was always the fun one, the one that always had a smile for everyone. Everyone always loved him, while I was always more reserved. It takes a lot for someone to work their way through to me. Nobody ever made their way into my heart, until you. Somehow, you got through to me. As hard as I tried not to, you scared me, you worried me, you made me happy. You made me feel, to feel things nobody else ever could. "So I ran away, when I should have stayed. I should have told you that night, but I was too scared. There were so many emotions running through me, things I hadn't felt before. I tried, I really did, I just couldn't say it. So, I decided to try to show you instead. "I don't know everything you've been through the past four years, I do know that it wouldn't have been nearly so bad if I had only stayed. I am so sorry, Mai. I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I will spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you, if you'll let me. "  
Mai just sat there, stunned. He loves her? She had spent these last four years thinking he hated her. If only she had known, she might not have been so quick to give up. How many times had she cried? It didn't matter now, though. She had no spirit left in her. If it wasn't for Gene, she wouldn't be able to do what she had to. She knew she had to do it, though it pained her to, but it's what he needed. She motioned for him to come sit next to her on the hospital bed. When he did, she held onto both of his hands with her own. "Oliver, that night," she began, "was one of the best and worst nights of my life. I had tried for so long to tell you that I had loved you. When I finally admitted it, you threw it right back into my face."  
He was started. 'Had loved him?' Did she mean that she doesn't love him now? He couldn't blame her, it really was his own fault, but it hurt. He tried to read her emotions, Mai had always been an open book, but her eyes were blank. She was shutting him out? He tried to pull his hands away, but she just held onto them even tighter, and pulled him closer to her. Now he was really confused, and showing that, he looked at her questioningly.  
"You're right, you have no idea what I went through, how much you hurt me. I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep, I just cried. It was only after I found out I was pregnant that I finally stopped crying all of the time. I called Ayako, just hoping for some advice on a doctor or something. I never even considered an abortion, just so you know that. "But, Ayako just yelled at me. She told me never to try to contact her or Monk again. The same days, I got emails from both John and Yasu saying the same thing. I still don't know why. It wasn't until after my first doctor appointment that Masako threatened me. It wouldn't have made much difference if she hadn't, you left me with no way to contact you. All she did, really, was put my defenses up. I moved, I changed doctors, I even quit school and finished high school online. Actually, I guess she kind of helped, in a way. I was able to take some college courses online while finishing high school.  
"Once the twins were born, everything was great, at least for a while. The past year has been the worst, honestly. With the hotel being taken over and all the changes that came with that, things got hard. All that stress finally got to me. Oliver and Narcissa apparently hear me cry sometimes at night. They're sneaky. They would climb into bed with me to try to cheer up. I've tried to hide it from them, but they seem to know I'm not really happy, that there's a hole that they just can't fill. They seem to have figured out what it is, too. Whenever I'm crying, they ask about you."  
"They ask about me?" he asked. "Of course, they want to know about their daddy."  
"Okay, but why would talking about me help you feel better?"  
"Gene's right about you, you really are a baka," she laughed. "Talking about you helps because I love you. I've always loved you. You are the hole that the twins can't fill. Apparently I even call out for you in my sleep," she blushed.  
Oliver Davis was never speechless, he always had something to say. So then, why wasn't he saying anything now? He kept opening and closing his mouth with no words coming out. He was lost.  
Mai couldn't help it, she burst out laughing. "What's so funny?" he asked.  
"Y...you, Naru. Yo..You look...like a fish...out of water. Is the great Oliver Davis really at a loss for words?" she laughed. "Honestly? I am," he mumbled. "It must have been hell for you. You went through so much, all because I was too afraid to tell you how I felt, and because I left."  
"Don't you get it?"  
"Huh?"  
"I had already figured out how you felt. I know you're not good on expressing your feelings. I figured it out from your actions, not your words. But, that's also why I thought you hated me. You left without even saying goodbye to my face, you just snuck out and left me sleeping. I've never felt so low in my life. I figured you must have thought I was some sort of slut or something for sleeping with you so easyily. That's why I thought you left like that." Tears were flowing down Mai's cheeks unchecked. She wasn't even looking at him now, she was looking down at the bed, hoping he wasn't seeing the pain in her eyes. Naru felt like crap. He had no idea that he had done that much damage to her. He really was an idiot. How could he have thought she would be okay? That she was better off without him? Oh, how he had been wrong, about everything. He had spent the last four years in his own personal hell. He couldn't stop thinking about her, he had even dreamt about her. He wasn't good at things like this. Before Mai had come into his life, he never felt things. He had shut out everyone, except Gene, of course. Now, he wasn't sure what to do. "The thing that scares me most," she continued, "is that you'll decide to take the twins back to England with you, and that I won't see them ever again. After everything, you have every right to do that. And, I just can't fight you. I would do anything you want, I want you to be happy. If that means that I'd ne ver see you or my babies again, I would do it. It doesn't matter that you said you love me, you left. You wouldn't have even come back if I hadn't been in real trouble. Though I knew you would come, I wished you wouldn't. I just hurt so much, and I don't want to hurt anymore. So, just do whatever will make you happy, and don't worry about me."  
She sounded so broken. He knew he had screwed up, but he had had no idea that it was this bad. When she had finally looked back up so he could see into her eyes, what he saw shook him to his core. Her eyes looked emotionally dead, not emotionless, but dead. She was so emotionally worn out, there was nothing left.  
Naru wanted her spark back. He didn't like the way she was now, even though he knew he was the cause of it. She had pulled her knees up to her chest and curled in on herself. He wasn't sure he was doing the right thing, but he couldn't stop himself, either. He climbed up into the bed with her, and pulled her into his lap. Mindful of the IV line, he wrapped his arms around her and held her. "Mai, I'm here, with you. I'm not leaving you. If I go back to England, I want you to come with me," he gently told her. `"You've been asleep here for three days, and I haven't left your side, and I don't plan on ever leaving your side again. I was a baka to leave you before, but I won't ever again. Please, Mai, say you'll move in with me? Please say that we can really be a family?"  
Naru hadn't even noticed, Maid had stopped crying when he started to hold her. Now, wrapped in his arms, she had fallen fast asleep. As he tried to lay her back down on the bed, she gripped his shirt. So, he just decided to lay down with her. When Martin and Lin returned a hour later, they both grinned at the sight there before them. Oliver was laying in the hospital bed, with Mai's head on his shoulder and gripping him. Martin quickly snapped a picture and sent it to his wife as the two men left.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Naru decided not to push the issue of Mai living with him until she got released from the hospital two days later. He never once left her side, though. It wasn't until they were all walking out of the hospital that Mai started to worry. "Uh, Naru?"  
"Yes, Mai?"  
"How am I getting home?"  
"I'm taking you, and the twins are already there. My mom and dad are watching them."  
Mai groaned. She had hoped, somehow, that he wouldn't have found out they were living in a homeless shelter. It looked like it was a bit too late for that, however. She wondered why he wasn't saying anything about it, though.  
"How do you even know where we live?" she asked.  
"Actually, I don't. Come on, let's get into the car, and then I need to ask you something."  
"Alright."  
Mai wasn't really surprised when she noticed that the car he mentioned just happened to be a limo. She knew he was rich, but she thought he would have preferred to drive. He must have noticed her confusion.  
"I do prefer to drive, when I can, but I wanted to be able to talk to you, and this seemed like the best way," he told her as he held the door open for her. Once they were settled, he began, "Mai, I want you to come live with me."  
"Huh?" she was amazed. He really wanted her to live with him? But, why?  
"I would really like it if you would agree to move in with me. I want us to be together, as a family would be."  
"Is this just because of Oliver and Narcissa?"  
"No, of course it's not. I told you, Mai, I love you. I am not leaving you again. I tried to tell you the other day when you first woke up, but you fell asleep as I was holding you. I want to be with you. If I return to England, I would want you to come with me. I'm not leaving you again, I want to be with you."  
She wasn't quite sure whether or not to believe him. During the last two days in the hospital, he had explained exactly what Masako had done to her. She still didn't know why, but now she knew that he had never intended for her to not be able to contact him if she had needed him. While she did still love him, she was hurt, and she wasn't sure that he wouldn't continue to hurt her. But, she also knew she'd never find out if she didn't take a chance, and she really didn't want to keep living in a shelter, either.  
Making sure she had taken enough time to really think about it, and also just enough to make Naru start to squirm a little, she finally answered him. "I guess that would be okay, at least for now. We can give it a shot and see what happens."  
"Thank you, thank you, Mai. I promise I won't make you regret it. We are going to be making a stop along the way, though."  
"Where?"  
"Don't get mad, okay? Your boss told me where you had been living, and I had Ayako and Madoka go over there to get your things. I'm sorry , Mai, but they didn't think you would be coming back, and they had already gotten rid of everything you had there."  
"Everything?" she practically cried.  
"Well, close enough to everything. They did give them a couple of books that look like journals, and some photo albums. But, all of your clothes and other things were gone."  
"As long as they didn't throw out the photos and journals. But, now what am I going to do about clothes for the kids?"  
"That's where we're going. My mom and dad have already taken them shopping, of course, so the kids have clothes. I'm taking you to get some for yourself. We can still get some things for them, though. I've missed three years of their lives already, so I have some birthdays and Christmases to make up," he laughed.  
"Naru, that's all fine for you, but I don't have any money," she really was crying now.  
"Mai, stop crying. Do you honestly think I would let you buy your own things right now? Your boss told me what has happened in the past year, how much of a pay cut you had to take, and how hard it's been on you. I know you always want to be independant, but sometimes you just need a helping hand up. So, please let me do this for you?"  
"Fine, but..."  
"No. No buts. You will not pay me back for this. Consider it part of me making up for leaving you, if that helps. But, I will not let you pay me back."  
"But, Naru..." she whined.  
"No, Mai. Besides, Mr. Sheppard has given you a six month leave. Since the cut backs, he said that even though he wants to pay you, all he can give you is the vacation pay you have saved up. He'll mail a check to my house, but it won't be a lot. So, right now, you wouldn't be able to pay me back anyway. I'm sorry, but with everything going on, nobody feels that's it's safe for anyone. "The hotel's going to be shut down while the police go through the whole cave system under the building. They are going to make sure it's cleared out, and then permanently seal it. They were even talking about filling the tunnels with concrete. That won't likely stop whoever took you and the other women, however. Tomorrow, a cop is going to be coming by to talk to you. They thought it best to wait until you were out of the hospital, but anything that you can remember and tell them will likely help.  
"Don't feel bad, Mai. I know you wouldn't normally accept monetary help from me, or anyone, but this is a special circumstance. So, don't take it too much to heart."  
"Fine, but I don't want it to seem like I'm taking advantage of you just because you have money."  
"I know you wouldn't do that. Anyone that would think that is just plain foolish."  
"Argh. As for what I remember," she started shaking. He immediately moved closer to her and wrapped his arms around her. "Thanks. I remember them saying that women shouldn't be permitted to work. That a woman's place was to stay home and please her man. The one in charge said he used Shiki to abduct the women, including me. I didn't even know that was possible."  
"It is, but not many people would be able to do it. Honestly, I think it could be possible that the Shiki were really controlling him, not him controlling them. Lin thinks the same thing. For those that are too weak, it would be easy for a spirit to control them and make them think they're really the one in control."  
"Wow. Interesting, but honestly, I'm not really surprised by that. I've learned a lot while you were gone. "  
"I noticed," he laughed. "What was that you did when you screamed by the way?"  
"Oh, good. I wasn't sure I used enough energy for you to hear me," she giggled.  
"Wait, you did that deliberately? I thought it was an accident."  
"Haha, no it wasn't. Told you I've learned a lot. Gene's been helping me some. I wasn't sure what exactly I could do, so he helped me control it, and make sure that I'm able to use it the way I need to. I gathered what I could before I passed out, and tried to send it straight to you. I had figured you were already there and nearby, otherwise it wouldn't have worked. Did anyone else hear it too?"  
"No, should they?"  
"No, I tried to yell out your name too, but I just didn't have enough. I was already pushing myself not to pass out from the pain."  
"You did great, Mai. I'm so proud of you, and impressed that you were able to do that at all. Did Gene help you with the astral projection?"  
"Yes and no. I was really deep asleep from the pain, he just really helped pull me out of it a little ways so that I could project. It was his idea though, I was too far gone to think."  
"Well, it deffinately helped us to find you. We were about to split off and go down another path, until we saw you there. But, we're nearing the shopping district. One minor rule while we're here, and I hate to do this to you, but you cannot leave my sight."  
"But, Naru, what about changing rooms?"  
"The only way I'll let you out of my sight is if Ayako or Madoka go in with you. The other two men are still out there, with the Shiki, and Gene confirmed that there is another person somewhere in the background after you as well. Although, I don't think Ayako's in any shape to be out shopping. Of course, Lin goes everywhere Madoka goes now too."  
"Oh, no, she is. Call her and Madoka. I know she's close to going into labour, but being stuck at home all the time won't help. In fact, staying active will help make labour a bit easier on her."  
"Really? That's interesting. I never would have thought that would be the case. Monk will want to come with her, of course."  
"Of course he will. Hell, might as well call Yasu and John up too then, and make this more than just a shopping trip," she laughed. Naru just grumbled, but knew that she was right. After leaving them alone the other day, he knew there would be tons of questions coming his way, and he wasn't looking forward to it, but might as well do it all at once and get it out of the way.  
Walking through the store, they made quite a group. Ayako, Mai, and Madoka were all walking up front arm in arm, while the men followed.  
"Anyone else feel a bit out of place?" Monk asked.  
"Just a bit, but it is entertaining watching the girls," Yasu agreed. "It's nice to see Mai laughing and smiling again. I have to admit, I missed her."  
"Yeah, we all did, Mate," John chimed in. "So, Naru," Monk began, "what exactly are your intentions with Mai now?"  
He had known this was coming, but he still wasn't happy about it. "What's it matter?" he grumbled.  
"Oh, come on, now," Yasu joined. "It's obvious you have feelings for her. So, why not just tell us now?"  
Since it appeared that the three women were heading to the changing room, he decided it may just be safe enough to answer. "Fine. If you must know, I was thinking about asking Mai to marry me, but it's still a little to early for that."  
Lin smirked, "About damn time."  
"I think you're past the too early part there, man," Monk stated. "You do have kids together now, after all."  
"No, I think he might be right on this," John stated. "After all, Mai's been hurt a lot. It wouldn't be fair to her for him to suddenly ask her now. She would think it was only because of Oliver and Narcissa, and not because he honestly loves her. As much as I don't agree with having sex outside of marraige, I believe even God would make an exception with the current situation they find themselves in."  
"Well said, John," Yasu agreed. "You're being awfully quiet about this all, Naru. Are you okay?" Lin asked.  
"I'm fine, just also watching for the women to come back out," he admitted. "They've been in there for a while, think everything is okay?"  
"Knowing them, they're probably up to something. There's nothing to worry about, though. If there was, we would deffinately be able to hear it," Yasu laughed.  
"So, Monk, Lin, you both ready to be fathers?" John asked.  
"Honestly, it's a bit of a scary thought," the monk admitted.  
"Yeah," Yasu laughed, "just thinking about a mini monk like you is scary."  
They all burst out laughing, even Naru and Lin, while Monk smacked Yasu across the back of the head.  
Calming down, Lin agreed, "It is a bit scary really, though. Madoka and I never thought we'd have a baby. I don't want to jinx it, but I'm really happy," he smiled.  
"You know, you really must be. I've never seen you smile like that before," Naru told him.  
"Well, what's it like for you? You come back to Japan after four years, and find out you have two three year old kids?" John asked.  
"I haven't really thought about it too much. I've been so caught up, first trying to find Mai, and then staying with her in the hospital. I do have to say that I was in shock when I first realized that they were mine. I was scared, but at the same time I was elated. I'm happy, but it's going to take a lot of getting used to. I've missed so much of their lives already," Naru confessed.  
"I can only imagine," John told him. "So, what comes next for the four of you?"  
"Well, on the way here, I asked Mai to move in with me."  
"What?!" they all exclaimed at the same time.  
"Well, it only makes sense when you think about it. We already have two children, and I want to be close to them, as well as her. There's still someone out there, and now that she's gotten away, you can be sure they will try to come after her again. So, I want to make sure she's safe."  
"Naru, I don't think I have to tell you this, but the Church doesn't agree with unwed couples living together," John stated.  
"I know, but honestly, right now, I don't care. It's not like we'll be having sex. For right now, I just want to make sure she's safe, and I want her close to me. I want us to be together, but I'm not going to rush things. I really hurt her, and I'm going to take the time to first, hopefully, heal the wounds before moving forward."  
"Well, as much as I can't agree with it from the religious perspective," John said, "from a personal perspective I agree. I don't want anything to happen to her again, and if anything does, you know you'll have to call all of us to help. Keep her close, and be careful."  
"I will," he agreed.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The three women were having a blast. Ayako, already having been informed by Mai that Naru asked her to move in with him, had secretly picked up several pieces of lingerie for her to try on. Although, neither her or Madoka would let Mai go into the changing room alone, so Mai had no way to hide what she looked like in the lingerie. "Ayako! How could you pick up something like this?" Mai screeched. "There's nothing to it but lace!"  
Laughing her head off, she replied, "Come on, Mai. You know you would love to see how the stoic Naru would unravel before you if you were to wear that for him."  
"I agree," laughed Madoka. "Besides, it's in his favorite colour, black."  
"Oh, you two are hopeless," Mai told them, throwing her arms up.  
"Wow, Mai, I didn't know your face could turn such a deep red," Ayako was still laughing. "Okay, okay, I'll get it, but only if you calm down Ayako. Being out and staying active is good for you, but you still don't want to throw yourself into labour from laughing so hard."  
"You're right," she agreed, taking several deep breaths. "Just tell me that you'll wear that to bed with him soon, and tell me all about his reaction. I don't need you to tell me the after details, I just want to know the expression on his face when he sees you in it. In fact, take a picture."  
"Oh, yes, please," Madoka pleaded. "I would love to see that as well."  
"You two really are hopeless. Don't you have your own men to torment?"  
Now it was Ayako's turn to turn red. "Well, yes, but honestly, it's like he's afraid to touch me lately," she cried. "Oh, no, don't cry. I know the hormones aren't helping, but don't be upset," Mai begged. Madoka and Mai led the pregnant woman over to a nearby bench and helped her sit down. "What's going on, Ayako?"  
"Like I said, it's like he's afraid to touch me," she cried. "I feel so useless, and I know he means well, but avoiding being intimate just makes me feel worse."  
"It will be okay," Madoka assured her. "Stay here with her, Madoka," Mai said, "I'll be right back."  
"Oh, no you don't missy," Ayako told her. "You can't go anywhere without someone with you, not until we catch those bastards at least." "Fine, I'll text one of the guys," she complied.  
It only took a second and Naru was at her side, worry evident on his face.  
"Are you okay? What happened? Why is Ayako crying?" he asked rapidly.  
"Calm down, everything is fine. Just that I can't be left alone, apparently, just to walk one isle over to you guys without an escort. Come on, I wanna have a little chat with the guys."  
"Uh oh," Madoka muttered. "What have we gone and done now?"  
"You two just stay here, okay?" she asked them.  
After they nodded their agreement, Mai and Naru walked back over to the rest of the gang. Naru reached over and took Mai's hand in his, startling her, but she didn't pull her hand away, either.  
"Mai, is everything okay? Where's Madoka?" Lin asked.  
"She and Ayako are sitting down for a moment. I need to talk to you and Monk," she said, pinning them each with a glare.  
"Why do I feel like I'm in trouble?" Monk asked.  
"You are," she told him. Going over to a bench, she had the men, minus Naru, sit down in front of her. "Now, Monk, Ayako was saying you seem to be afraid of getting intimate...why?"  
Monk turned bright red, much to the amusement of the others. "Well...I...uh..." he stuttered.  
"I'm going to say this to all of you at once, just so we don't ever have to do something this embarassing again," she told them. "Just because a woman is pregnant, whether she's near the due date or not, does not mean you're going to hurt her or the baby, physically, if you have sex. However, if you don't, you more than likely will hurt her emotionally. It's perfectly safe to be intimate during pregnancy, unless the doctor says otherwise. In fact, because of the changes in a woman's body during pregnancy, being intimate can help reassure her that you still love her. "So whatever lame reason you may have, get rid of it. You will not hurt her or the baby. I hate being the one to say this, as I personally have no experience with it, but changing positions can help if she's uncomfortable in any way. Okay?"  
While the rest of the men nodded, all of them now bright red, Naru once again felt bad. He was just starting to realize how much she had had to go through without him, without anyone. She had been alone throughout all of it, while he had been back in England, not really happy, but not as bad off as she had been. Still holding her hand, he interlocked his fingers with hers and squeezed lightly, letting her know without words that she wasn't alone anymore.  
"You're right, Mai," Monk admitted. "I'm going to go take Ayako home and appologize," he hugged her. "Thank you for pointing out how much of an idiot I've been. We will see you soon, I promise."  
She just nodded her head as the man walked off to fetch his wife. Looking at Lin, she knew that at least in his case, he wouldn't make the same mistake, having been warned early enough. Mai was ready to go home. She was tired, happy, but tired. She hadn't picked out a lot of clothes, but was content with what she had picked. When it came to the lingerie, she was a bit worried that Naru would see it.  
Noticing, Madoka quietly handed her a bag, "Consider this a late birthday present from me and Lin. Just let me know how it goes, okay?"  
"Thank you," she whispered.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Arriving home, Naru helped Mai slowly into the house while the limo driver followed with the many bags of clothes. Mai was slightly surprised to see that Naru's home was a modest two story. She had almost expected to see that he lived in a penthouse. He helped her get settled down on the couch before Oliver and Narcissa could jump up and sit next to her. Feeling slightly out of place, he was about to turn and walk away when she motioned for him to come join them. "Hey now, where's your dad supposed to sit?" she jokingly asked her twins.  
"Oh, um... he can sit right next to you," Oliver answered. "Sorry, Mom," Narcissa muttered. "Guess we're just not yet used to having a daddy. Does that mean we have to share you now?"  
Mai laughed, "I guess, in a way, it does. But, that also means that now I have to share you with him, and I can't keep you all to myself," she hugged them both tightly.  
"Mom, are we safe here?" Oliver asked.  
"Why would you ask that?" Naru puzzled.  
"Well, we heard granddad Martin say that Masako person was here. He didn't seem happy with whatever she said to him," Narcissa told them.  
"You two have nothing to worry about," Naru told them. None of us will let anything happen to either of you, or your mom."  
"Thank you, daddy!" Oliver jumped into his lap and hugged him. "I love you!"  
This was a whole new experience for Naru. Even though he had held Narcissa while on the plane ride to Japan, this was the first time either of them had called him daddy. He felt like he was 10 feet of the floor, he was so thrilled. They spent the next couple of hours getting to know each other, while Martin and Luella worked on making dinner. Dinner, was, to say the least, a big learning experience for Naru. He never knew two small kids could make such a big mess, and still somehow get food inside them. He couldn't help but laugh, until Mai asked him if he wanted to help Oliver get a bath.  
Bath time was another big learning experience. Mai and Luella sat on the couch with Narcissa, laughing at all the yelling Naru and Martin were doing.  
"I wonder how much water won't be on those two by the time Oliver's done?" Mai wondered out loud. Luella laughed along. "Not much, by the sound of it."  
"I'm much better at bath time," Narcissa proudly stated.  
"That you are," Mai hugged her. "Cissa's the calm one in the water, Oliver likes to splash anyone and anything in the room," she laughed.  
"Oh, I should have gotten the camera out then," Luella laughed. "It's been so long since we had kids around. Oliver and Gene were older, though, by the time we adopted them."  
"You have an Oliver too?" Narcissa asked.  
"Oh, yes. I guess we forgot to tell you," Luella blushed. "Oliver is your daddy's real name. He's also called Naru, Noll, and Kazuya. But, really, he likes the name Naru best, probably because that name came from your mom."  
"Really? So many names. But, Mommy, where did you get the name Naru?"  
Mai laughed, thinking back to that first day she spent working for him. "I called him Naru because he seemed like such a narcissist. 'Naru the Narcissist' is what I called him, and the name Naru just kind of stuck."  
"Really? Is that where my name comes from too?" she asked.  
"Sort of. You see, I wanted you and Oliver to have something from your daddy, even if he wasn't there for you. But, Narcissa is also the name of a beautiful flower, so I never want you to feel bad about your name."  
"Oh, I won't. I don't care if it's a flower, it's something special from my daddy," the little girl smiled. "Well, since you already had your bath, are you ready for story and bed time?" Mai asked her daughter.  
"Yes, please."  
"Okay, let's go rescue your dad and granddad from your brother, then it will be story time," Mai laughed. Taking over Oliver's bath, Mai sent the two men to change their clothes, laughing while she finished getting the young boy clean and dressed. Naru came back to help her read and put them to bed. Then, it was time for the grown ups to talk.  
"Dad," Naru began, "any idea how Masako found out where I live?"  
"No, I've been puzzled over that ever since she showed up here," he explained. "I don't know why, but I had this really bad feeling before she even rang the doorbell. Something she said doesn't sit right, either."  
"What did she say?"  
"She asked how you could allow Mai to stay with you, and wanted me to let her alone with the twins. I didn't even know she knew about them."  
"She doesn't," Mai said. "At least, the last time I heard from her, she only knew that I was pregnant, and that was before I even knew there were two babies."  
"Something deffinately doesn't sit right," Naru agreed. "I think, maybe, it would be best if we did return to England."  
"But..." Mai was cut off.  
"We'll ask the others if they would like to go as well, Mai. You just got your friends back, I won't take them away from you or you away from them if it can be avoided. But, also, in England, we have a lot more resources and people we can ask for help if something comes up," Naru explained.  
"Also, Lin and Madoka have already decided they will be returning with us, whenever we do decide to go," Luella told them.  
"We won't push you, Mai, but think about it. Something is deffinately odd about Masako, and the man using Shiki to take you doesn't seem right either. If possible, I would like to go back and meet with someone that may be able to tell us some more about that," Martin said.  
"I will think about it, just give me tonight at least, okay?" she asked.  
"That's not a problem," Naru accepted. "Okay, then. Now that that's settled," Luella cut them off, "I can Mai is tired. Take her to bed, son."  
They said their good nights, and Naru led Mai into his bedroom. He pointed her towards a bathroom, and she grabbed a bag to go change, while he changed in his room. Rinsing her face and brushing her teeth, Mai decided to try the piece of lingerie Madoka and Ayako picked out. If they were already looking at having to leave the country, she wanted to find out now how this was going to go. Making sure to have her cell camera ready, she walked into the bedroom, and waited for Naru to turn and see her. As he did, Naru felt as though his breath had been knocked out of him. He couldn't seem to form a coherent thought. Mai was standing there, in his bedroom, wearing black lace lingerie. For a moment, he thought he must have been dreaming. The flash of a camera brought him back down to earth.  
"What are you doing, Mai?" he asked, his voice lower than normal. He knew he should look away, but he just couldn't bring himself to break his eyes away from her.  
"Naru, I need to know, how do you feel about me?" she asked him.  
"Mai, now is not the..."  
"It's the perfect time," she interrupted him. "If you expect me to go with you to England, I have to know. I have every right to know what to and what not to expect. I love you, but..."  
"You love me?" Naru asked, cutting her off this time.  
"Yes, I do, but..."  
This time she was cut off by Naru's lips on her own. Started, she gasped, which Naru took advantage of to slip his tongue into her mouth. A second was all it took before Mai was returning the kiss in full.  
Wearing nothing but a pair of black, silky, pajama bottoms proved to be too much for Mai, as she quickly found her arms around Naru touching him everywhere. She couldn't believe how soft his skin felt to her, and hot. She was sure he could warm her if she was cold just from the warmth of his skin.  
After that, all thoughts fled as they made their way onto Naru's bed. His soft, warm hands gently touching her everywhere, elicting emotions she hadn't felt since that night so long ago, quickly had tears flowing freely from her eyes. Noticing the tears, Naru stopped, wondering if he had done something to hurt her. He quickly realized that he had indeed, he had left her, and that being with her now must be taking a toll on her emotions. "Don't stop, Oliver. Please?" she begged.  
"Mai," he stumbled, "I love you. Please, come with me? Don't ever leave my side?"  
Her answer was in the form of her mouth pressed firmly against his. It was several hours later that they both finally succumbed to sleep. Mai was held tightly in Naru's arms, a smile on both of their faces.


End file.
